Wilkes-Barre

Morning in Hummelstown brought a delightful surprise. Walking in the opposite direction of the seemingly pedestrian-unfriendly intersection brought us into town, the kind of town we used to see more of on previous tours. Baskets of flowers hung from streetlights, potted mums clustered on street corners, and the business district featured “Scarecrows on Main Street.” It reminded me very much of the small town America of my childhood, with stately older homes lining the street, decorated for the season with corn, pumpkins, and the occasional Halloween decoration.

The drive to Wilkes-Barre was short, and soon we were pulling in to downtown. The hotel/dorm was convenient to the concert site, making it our first walk day of tour. After checking in, Leslye and I visited a department store in search of one of our first “tour quests”, in this case, some casual pants that will be comfortable on the bus.

The concert hall was one of those lovely old theaters we so often perform in on tour; the stages are usually a little small, but the theater itself was ornate with wood and gold and velvet. It was the first performance of Program B, and the hall had a nice ring to it we had missed in our first two concerts.

For the first time in fourteen years, I did not go on stage for the Opener and the National Anthem. I tacet on Russlan and Ludmilla, the first piece, so it was decided I would stay off stage instead of sitting silently through a piece that sounds like it should have a piccolo part. It was a very strange feeling, and I couldn’t help feeling as though I had missed the “On Stage!”

I came on stage for Escapades as others left for the cut down ensemble. Steve and the Glenns played amazingly, especially given the tight quarters on the stage. West Side Story was well received, the audience applauding before the piece had ended, which was not surprising, given that the piece builds and builds and comes to a crashing halt just before a very low register flute solo. We froze in position until the applause died, but such was the enthusiasm of the audience that it took some time for them to realize we appeared as though in suspended animation.

Little goodie bags had been handed out to the audience with their programs, and during Stars and Stripes and the Armed Forces Medley, the little American flags from the goodie bags appeared, the audience waving them with glee. Once again we had to pull out God Bless America for an encore.

Worried that we might have to fight traffic for our morning walk, we asked at the front desk about the safest places to walk. We were directed across the river, just a short distance, to Kirby Park. Wide paved walking trails through the park met us as we crossed the bridge, and we covered our four miles through grassy parkland, tall trees with a sprinkling of color, and tennis courts, where we saw other band members enjoying a match in the shade.

After loading the bus, I crossed into the town square to visit the farmer’ market that was so unexpected yet so welcome. So much to choose from; gourds, peppers, tomatoes, apples, baked goods, potato pancakes, and flowers. I bought a small bag of apples and couldn’t resist the Amish baked goods – a pumpkin whoopee pie. It may feel like summer outside, but the market said Autumn.